For most of us, the holidays represent a time to share wonderful meals and quality time with friends and loved ones. But this season can cause tension and woe for those who are unable to provide even the small things for their nearest and dearest, things that the rest of us probably take for granted. And while it’s the time spent together that matters most, my highly tradition-oriented perspective prompts me to feel as though everyone deserves to celebrate with the same holiday hoopla that fills my family’s home year after year. Having game night on the evening of Thanksgiving, wrapping last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve morning, and sharing a prime rib roast on New Year’s Day—these are the things that truly make the holidays feel so special.

While it is important for each family to have their own traditions, there are undoubtedly specific elements that epitomize the holiday season within our society—a list of “holiday non-negotiables,” if you will. This includes contributing basic staples of everyday life, from canned goods to warm clothing, to donation centers. And because most of us would agree it is far more gratifying to give than to receive, I’d like to remind everyone that giving to those who cannot afford to give back is especially important this time of year.

As demonstrated by our cover feature, lending a helping hand during the holidays is a concept that is not lost on those who work in public safety. Food donations aside, however, we spoke with several members from a variety of agencies to garner some important information about how to remain safe during the holidays. We looked into the retail safety side of holiday shopping as well as some of the hazards to avoid while decorating the house. (Hint: Imagine Chevy Chase in “Christmas Vacation” and you’ll be reminded of exactly why it’s important to practice safety when putting up Christmas lights on the house and hanging stockings by the fire.) Be sure to look for those articles in this issue.

Whatever your traditions may be, I’d like to encourage you to remember those who are feeling a bit less fortunate this time of year. Perhaps your donated turkey will be the centerpiece for an evening that marks the beginning of a new family tradition for people who otherwise couldn’t afford to share a real holiday meal together.

From all of us at Valley Response Magazine, we wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday season. Here’s to your old traditions and the new memories you’re going to make. We’ll see you all in the New Year.

No comments

When Mary Laufer, RN joined Kaweah Delta staff in 2005, qualified nurses were hard to come by. Turnover was high, she says. As a result, the vacancy rate, in turn, was unacceptably high.

Burnout is a major concern in the nursing profession at large, says former nurse Elsah Cort, RN, CMT, who now leads anti-burnout clinics and workshops for nurses (for more information, see www.thedeeperwell.com or the “Beyond Nursing Burnout” page on Facebook).

“Now it is even harder for nurses who are experiencing burnout because they are afraid to try to change jobs” in the current economy, Cort says. “It is hard to find nursing jobs.” Cort points out that recent grads experience difficulty finding jobs because they don’t have experience. “It is now a myth that a nurse can find a job anywhere and anytime. But it is not a myth that there still is a shortage of nurses, and it is going to get worse.”

A few years have made a big difference at Kaweah Delta, however. The hospital has addressed the factors that contribute to career dissatisfaction. Since nursing burnout has a direct impact on patient care, the steps taken have been key to maintaining quality of care, too.

In July, Kaweah Delta sent the American Nurses Credentialing Center its Magnet (ANCC) application, a reflection of the hospital’s commitment to examining nursing practices and exploring innovations, which has resulted in a straonger professional practice environment, Laufer says.

Roadmap to Excellence

Why Magnet? “Because it’s the right thing to do to take our nursing practice and organization to the next level of excellence. The ANCC provides a roadmap to excellence through the Magnet recognition criteria; it’s up to us to complete the journey,” Laufer says.

“By recruiting and retaining very good nurses we have been able to provide improved clinical outcomes for our patients and families,” Laufer says. In other words, patients are doing better under the new program. The adopted standards of the Magnet Recognition Program have transformed the nursing program at Kaweah Delta, says Laufer.

The program’s three main goals include to:

• Promote quality in a milieu that supports professional practice

• Identify excellence in the delivery of nursing service to patients/residents

• Provide a mechanism for the dissemination of “best practices” in nursing services.

Magnet organizations like Kaweah Delta share key characteristics, she points out. They “consistently look for ways to improve nursing practice. Over the past five years Kaweah Delta nursing staff and leaders have examined our practice environment, professional expectations, and clinical outcomes. As a result, we created structures to improve staff nurse involvement in decisions and implemented programs to support and encourage nurses in their professional development,” she says, adding that in February 2006, Kaweah Delta initiated a “Shared Governance Model” that allows nurses to impact decision related to patient care and their work environment through a three-tiered council.

With mentoring from nurse managers, staff nurses lead unit- and practice-specific council meetings, culminating in a monthly meeting with nurses representing all levels of practice across the organization led by Linda Pruett, Chief Nursing Officer. Members of this Professional Practice Council review and act upon issues of concern to nurses in order to improve safety, quality of care, and satisfaction of patients, staff, and physicians.

For example, Laufer says that through these shared decision-making councils, staff nurses have revised patient care policies “to meet practice standards as well as the diverse needs of the community we serve.” They have “instituted guidelines to promote safe patient hand-offs; developed a variety of comprehensive educational materials for patients and families; and, successfully implemented strategies to improve patient satisfaction with nurses.”

In addition, nurses at all levels are encouraged and supported in their pursuit of advanced degrees and national specialty certification. Nurses then draw on this new knowledge and expertise to challenge existing structures and processes, creating change and influencing care delivery.

Pursuit of Knowledge

In addition, nurses at all levels are encouraged and supported in their pursuit of advanced degrees and national specialty certification. Nurses then draw on this new knowledge and expertise to challenge existing structures and processes, creating change, and influencing care delivery.

“The Magnet principles provided us with a framework and an outline to accomplish this goal,” Laufer credits. “We are very proud of our nurses at Kaweah Delta. This recognizes them.”

With input from staff nurses in 2008, Kaweah Delta established a voluntary program designed to inspire and reward staff nurses who pursue development. Founded on Magnet principles, the Professional Advancement System for Nurse Clinicians requires participants to educate themselves and their peers about National Patient Safety Goals, use evidence to support patient care, seek best practice solutions from national professional nursing organizations and literature to improve patient outcomes, and demonstrate involvement in the community.

Laufer says that Nurses have made a difference in details large and small, including creating standardized portable wound and skin care tote bags to improve care delivery and response time, implementing measures to save $20,000 on surgical video equipment, making sure patient comfort was a part of dialysis clinic remodel plans, facilitating review and purchase of equipment to improve patient safety, and implementing evidence-based communication tools to enhance patient care and safety.

One reflection of the Magnet Nursing emphasis was the introduction of a new tradition at Kaweah Delta’s 2010 Nursing Banquet. As coordinator of Research and EBP Projects for the organization, LaNora Cook MSN, RN, FNP worked with staff to develop and display posters for the new Evidence Based Poster Promenade. Entries included research posters, EBP Projects posters, and educational posters. The criteria for educational posters were that their content be evidence-based and include references. Banquet attendees voted for the most clinically-relevant posters. Anne Graham, Staff RN-Labor & Delivery, won first place for her research poster about Communication in Non-English Speaking OB Patients: Nurse’s Experiences. Second Place went to Digna Hallare, Staff RN-Rehab, for her EBP Poster: The Nurse, Patient, and Family: The Spirituality Triangle in Rehabilitation Nursing. Third Place went to Peggy Escobedo and Ellen Woods.

The Magnet Recognition Program has been around for many years and is based upon years of research, says Laufer. “I have followed the development of the program for the past fifteen years. During my tenure as CNO in a previous organization, I outlined the Magnet Program; we had set a goal and completed an internal assessment. Due to the rigor of the program, it is a five-year journey initially and requires consistent leadership and vision,” Laufer says.

Laufer says that the Magnet Recognition Program provides research-based guidelines for improving the overall organizational culture and patient outcomes. Kaweah Delta nursing staff and leaders “are encouraged to celebrate nursing’s past and work together to build a future founded on evidence-based nursing practice rather than tradition. Nurses establish collegial interdisciplinary relationships rather than conventional hierarchical boundaries, and they fully engage in their individual professional development.”

This ongoing climate of advancement is important because “Nurses are the coordinators of care at the bedside 24/7. Physicians depend upon nurses’ clinical skills, knowledge and critical thinking abilities and communication skills,” she says.

Another milestone that is part of Magnet Nursing was to select an overarching theory of nursing care. “Nurses at all levels were invited to participate in online education and voting,” Laufer says. The staff overwhelmingly endorsed Dr. Jean Watson’s “Theory of Human Caring.”

“Watson’s theory acknowledges both the art and science of nursing and identifies caring as the very essence of nursing practice, emphasizing the practice of loving-kindness, instillation of faith and hope, creating a healing environment, honoring expression of feelings, and establishing helping-trusting relationships,” Laufer says.

Supported by the belief that caring for others is a professional, moral and ethical responsibility, Kaweah Delta nurses “apply the principles of Watson’s caring theory to relationships with patients and co-workers, as well as their personal needs. Our nurses understand this responsibility and have chosen to base all they do on it.”

And hopefully the new standards of the Magnet Recognition Program will mean more satisfied, advanced nurses, making burnout a thing of the past.

No comments

As a much-needed departure from the intensity of our last two covers, for our holiday issue we decided to ease up on the seriousness of more pensive matters within our community and go heavy on the jubilation and lightheartedness of the fast approaching season of giving and celebration.

Our cover feature this issue (page ___) sheds light on the efforts of various agencies and departments throughout Tulare and Kings counties as they head out into the community to share the gift-giving cheer and bring a season of joy to the families and individuals who might have otherwise gone without. Not only do these local heroes spend the entire year devoted to our protection, but year after year they are an admirable example of what the holiday season is all about.

To bring our readers a quintessential holiday cover, photographer David Swann along with his photo stylist and wife, Susan Thompson, spent hours in post-production, working like little elves in Santa’s workshop to produce an image that Norman Rockwell himself would get nostalgic over.

Norman Rockwell’s paintings had great appeal because they depicted people in everyday situations, doing everyday things, but also because his subjects were sweet, humorous, idealistic, proud and well intentioned. Our subjects on this cover possess those same attributes. For this reason, we decided to do our interpretation as a tribute to Mr. Rockwell, and to the Americans he painted.

Talent: Back row, left to right: Captain Steve Faccinni, Senior Officer Justin Vallin; Front row, left to right: Cathy Carlton, ED RN; Matt Caserza, Paramedic

Location: Santa’s workshop (Sundance Studios)

Theme: A Norman Rockwell Christmas

Thank you to everyone in public safety for keeping our families safe all year long and for your extra efforts during the holidays to help ensure that everyone has a warm and merry season.

No comments

Wish Upon a Star Boot Scootin’ BBQ-Dinner, Dance, and Car Show

Wish Upon a Star has been granting wishes to critically ill Valley children since 1982. All of the proceeds of its annual Wish Upon a Star Dinner, Dance, and Car Show on September 25^th at the Optimal Aviation Hanger at the Visalia Airport were used to grant the wishes of Valley children who are afflicted with high-risk and life-threatening illnesses. Since it began it has granted more than 1,900 children’s wishes. Kevin Blake Willard and the Cadillac Cowboys provided the entertainment for the barbecue.

Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation Tommy Elliot’s Annual Golf Classic

Surgical patients can expect to get back to their lives sooner thanks to the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation Tommy Elliot’s Annual Golf Classic. This fundraising event benefited the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System Campaign. The proceeds helped to purchase the new system, which is a state-of-the-art robotic technology that improves surgical outcomes and helps patients return to active and productive lives quickly.

Remembering 9/11

On September 11, 2001, our world was turned upside down and we will never forget the events that happened on that fateful day. On the nine-year anniversary there were many local events to honor those who have fallen as well as to thank those who continue to protect our land and our people. We were able to attend a couple of events that day to thank and honor our local emergency responders.

• Tulare County Sheriff’s Association held its Eighth Annual Valley Heroes Dinner at Ritchie’s Barn to honor all the emergency response personnel in Tulare County.
• Sequoia Ambulance Foundation for Education & Training Committee (SAFE-T) held a barbecue at Mooney’s Grove for all the ambulance providers in Tulare County to thank them for working together as a team despite working for different companies.
• The McDermont Field House in Lindsay hosted Wish Upon a Star’s Shave the Brave for Tulare County personnel, as well as the Valley Canine Associations Police Canine Trials, while Adventure Park in Hanford hosted Shave the Brave for Kings County personnel.
• Many thanks go out to Jerry and Jody Young for hosting the Fifth Annual Sierra View District Hospital Foundation Gala at their home. Since the event fell on 9/11 the organizers honored emergency workers and used the proceeds to buy new equipment for the Porterville hospital’s emergency room. They raised $30,000 to purchase airway boxes for the emergency room.

Despite it being a somber day of remembrance, everybody at these events had a great time honoring those who serve and protect.

Hanford Medical Center Grand Opening

The new Adventist Medical Center in Hanford is scheduled to open its doors to patients this fall, and on October 8^th it hosted an open house to give the media and invited guests a sneak peak at the new facility. Community pastors and clergymen of various faiths, Valley leaders, politicians, dignitaries, physicians, CEOs, and corporate members dedicated and blessed the new Medical Center. The new center has 142 private beds including 120 medical/surgical beds, twenty-two intensive care unit beds and twenty-six private ER treatment stations. The center is also home to King’s County’s first sixty four-slice CT scanner.

2010 Poker Run

On October 9^th Visalia heard the wail of hundreds of motorcycles revving their engines, preparing to hit the road for the Visalia Firefighters’ Central Valley Heroes 2010 Poker Run in memory of Firefighter Frank Reed, who lost his battle with brain cancer this year.  The third annual poker run benefited Tulare County Firefighter Pat Hinds, who was injured by a vehicle while fighting a fire. The run started at Firkin and Hound and ended at Plaza Park with a tri-tip lunch, live music by Motel Drive and Borrowed Time, raffle prizes, and a chili cook-off.

Junior High Youth Leadership Summit

Nearly 100 student leaders from thirteen rural schools came together to learn how to spot and put a stop to bullying on campus, at the Tulare County Department of Education’s Annual Junior High Youth Leadership Summit. The purpose of the event was to empower students to create positive, inclusive school cultures, where drugs, alcohol, and violence are not tolerated. Participants also learned new event planning and marketing skills. They were challenged to “be the change” on their campus. They learned about malicious gossip, hurtful words, rejection, threats, and physical violence. The Summit also included workshops on leadership development and event planning, which focused on activities students could take part in during October’s Red Ribbon Week. Tipton student council advisor Tamara Lampe reports that her group planned to implement a Friendship Ambassador project this year. “Our student council officers will go out and make sure that kids are not being left out or picked on. They will also invite them to be their friend and feel included at school,” said Lampe. “I feel that this training fired them up and empowered them to know that they can ‘Be the Change!’”

No comments

Regardless of where you are in your career, what industry you work in, or whether you are from public safety or the private sector, you, like many in Tulare County, have likely experienced tough times. If not in the past few months or years, then at some point in your life, necessities such as food, clothing, or shelter have not been what you expected or desired. Few are spared in recessed economic periods; some are affected for a lifetime. In Tulare County, many experience this reality, and the needs tend to outpace the supplies at our local food banks.

Located in Visalia, FoodLink has been providing food to Tulare County families since 1978. Each year, FoodLink handles and distributes 7 million to 8 million pounds of food for more than 100,000 people. According to FoodLink Executive Director Sandy Beals, “One-third of the children in Tulare County live in poverty.” Beals adds, “The vast majority of people in need of food here are children or the elderly.”

With an ever-growing need for resources, it is important to the emergency aid centers and food pantries in the community that the residents of Tulare County support the efforts of organizations like FoodLink. In July at the Second Annual Food Fight at Visalia’s Holiday Inn, local members of the California Restaurant Association, including David Vartanian of The Vintage Press, brought together area chefs, local celebrities, and willing politicians to participate in a fundraising food competition to support FoodLink. Those efforts bolstered FoodLink, but, Beals states, community members can help in lots of ways. “There are many activities such as a canned food drive, donations, and fun competitions between companies to see who can bring in more support.”

Vartanian selflessly donates time and resources to support FoodLink’s efforts. For this edition of Code Seven, Vartanian and The Vintage Press’ Steve Suggs and William Sa welcomed the challenge from Valley Response Magazine to create a meal using ingredients from a typical box of food distributed at one of the more than twenty-nine food pantries and distribution centers across Tulare County.

To find out more about how you or your business can help or start a food drive, call FoodLink at 559-651-3663 or visit www.foodlinktc.org.

Citrus Vinaigrette

Note: Intact oranges are easier to zest, so get the zest before you squeeze the juice.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

In a medium saucepan, bring orange juice to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce until 1/3 cup remains. Allow to cool. Combine orange juice, shallots, thyme, vinegar, and orange zest. Slowly whisk in extra virgin olive oil until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper, refrigerate. When ready for use, mix with a salad of romaine, dried fruit or fruit segments, nuts, or other vegetables to make a quick salad.

Carrot Puree

Ingredients:

2 14.5-ounce cans carrots

4 tablespoons sweet butter

1/4 cup whipping cream

salt to taste

white pepper to taste

freshly grated nutmeg

Method:

Drain the carrots and place them in a medium saucepan. Warm them over medium heat until hot. Puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding the butter as you puree. Add the whipping cream and season to taste with the salt and white pepper. Grate just a little fresh nutmeg into the carrot puree, stir well and serve. Serves 6.

Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

¼ cup cream

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

Method:

Cut cauliflower into smaller pieces and boil them until tender. Drain and transfer them to saucepan. Brown the cauliflower in the saucepan. Puree the cauliflower in a food processor, or mash, adding the cream a little at a time until it is incorporated. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic. Serves 6.

Fruit Crisp

Fruit Mixture:

5 nectarines, sliced

juice of one lemon

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping:

6 ounces unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup dry oatmeal

1/2 cup flour

Method:

Combine the nectarines, lemon juice, sugar, and water in a pan. Bring the fruit mixture to a simmer. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water. Add the cornstarch to the fruit and simmer until it thickens slightly. Pour the fruit mixture into an 8-inch round Pyrex dish or divide the mixture into six individual ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the butter and brown sugar together. Add the oatmeal and flour and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle a generous amount of topping onto the fruit filling. Bake at 350 degrees until golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6.

Safety Tip:

Think your canned goods are good forever? Not quite. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends that canned foods and other shelf-stable products should be stored in a cool, dry place. Canned foods should never be put above the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or any place exposed to temperature extremes. The FSIS suggests storing high-acid foods, such as tomatoes and other fruit, up to 18 months. Low-acid foods, such as meat and vegetables, can be kept for two to five years.

While extremely rare, a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the worst danger in canned foods. The FSIS states that you should NEVER USE food from containers that show signs of botulism: leaking, bulging, rusting, or badly dented cans; cracked jars; jars with loose or bulging lids; canned food with a foul odor; or any container that spurts liquid when opening. DO NOT TASTE THIS FOOD as even the tiniest amount of the botulinum toxin can be deadly.

For more information from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, go to:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/foodsec_cons.pdf

No comments

It was a peaceful setting, right on the Kings River near Kingsburg; a perfect location for a picnic. The children came running, letting their towels fly in the wind as they approached the grassy area where a giant inflatable waterslide was waiting for them. A smiling lady passed out shaved ice and popcorn not too far from the clown who told jokes and painted faces. It sounds like the perfect escape for families going through a difficult process—trying to rebuild.

The Concerns of Police Survivors organization hosted this picnic as a way to reach out to and comfort families who have lost a family member in the line of duty. COPS is a national organization that has a very active local Central Valley chapter. It spreads across fourteen counties, from Bakersfield to Modesto. Its purpose is to provide both financial and emotional support for the grieving families.

More than 100 family members gathered at the Kingsburg Gun Club to share stories about the loved one they lost, to comfort each other, and to be able to laugh and smile in a protected space. Some had on T-shirts with the image of their fallen police officer, a way to honor their loved one and remind the world of the sacrifice he or she made.

Lois Pearcy sat on a blanket in the grass with her husband, Nick, and brother, Don Archuleta. They watched the children play in the background while enjoying time with each other. Her nephew, Daniel Archuleta, was killed in a car accident on September 12, 2004, while responding to a call in Kern County. Only 35 when he died, he left behind a wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 5.

Lois says that she enjoys coming to COPS events because she feels she is part of something bigger.

“Everyone here shares a common goal. When a family member is lost it affects everybody. Here everybody understands your grief,” Lois says.

Don was Daniel’s father and although his daughter-in-law and grandchildren have moved away, he faithfully attends COPS functions to honor his son.

“When you lose a loved one you do not want them to be forgotten,” Don says. “I plan on continuing to come to these events until a day comes where I am not able to anymore.”

The concept is simple. Healing and restoration come from sharing your story with others.

“I have been helped quite a bit by this. You meet other parents who have lost a child and you see how they have survived. You learn how to not constantly stay in grief,” he says.

Not only has Don been helped tremendously by sharing with other families, he says, he is now in a position to help others.

Police units from all over the Valley came to lend a hand with the picnic. They parked their cars around the perimeter and encouraged people to share their stories. A helicopter from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department made a surprise landing and pumped up the crowd.

After a hearty barbecue lunch, everyone at the picnic gathered to watch a demonstration with police canines. Officer Karl Basta donned the padded suit to play a perpetrator. Three other officers showed the crowd how the police dogs were trained and squeals of delight came when the dogs took the bad guy down.

Bethani Telen, 11, beamed when she saw a police horse. She shyly approached the horse and began petting him. Her mother Shelley looked on with pride.

“Bethani is just crazy about horses,” she says.

The Telen family was one of the first families that received support from the Central Valley COPS chapter. Shelley’s husband, Erik Telen, was working for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department when he was shot and killed while responding to a home invasion. He was the first deputy in almost a century in Fresno County that was fatally shot. He was only 26 when he passed and he left two young daughters and an expecting wife.

The family struggled for years with grief as the legal system took time to reach a resolution. Finally, in 2008, they received a form of justice as Ramadan Abdullah was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Through their whole ordeal COPS was there for them.

“They gave us both emotional and financial support,” Shelley says.

She says that she continues coming to these events to catch up with people.

“People come to me to find out how life has been since it happened. They come to share their own stories,” she says. “I tell people that you have to take it day by day and that it all gets better with time.”

Even though Shelley is remarried, she continues to come to the events to honor her fallen husband to comfort her children, her in-laws, and herself.

“I keep his memory alive by coming here,” Shelley says.

At the end of the picnic everyone gathered to collect a blue helium-filled balloon. With markers they wrote messages of love to the one they had lost. Collectively they let the balloons go and with their heads turned towards the sky they fell silent and held each other. As the balloons rose higher and higher becoming little blue specks they stared and held the bittersweet moment together.

No comments

Chainsaws. Knives. These aren’t in the typical dad of five’s bag of tricks. But these, combined with the inherent pull to wholly immerse himself in the field of emergency medical services, make Doug Woods both a workhorse and master of play.

Most of us have pie in the sky visions at a young age about the path our lives will take, then look back later in life and muse at the crooks and valleys that changed our course and ended up defining us.

Woods is no different, though he doesn’t stand still long enough to look back at his fascinating story. His path began at the age of 13, when he started working for his dad, a gourmet chef by profession, and was exposed to an artform that still defines him.

“I used to cook with my dad all the time. … He’s a master of all the culinary arts and got me into the art of carving. It really took off and I started doing it well at 17 or 18,” he reminisced.

Intricate Masterpieces

From tomato roses to watermelon and cantaloupe carvings, and eventually working with wood and ice, Woods skillfully uses chainsaws and knives to create masterpieces. His favorite medium is pumpkins. Woods says that they hold up well and don’t take the time and patience that wood carving entails. “I enjoy inlaying faces, using lots of facial features,” he said.

To keep his pumpkins from oxidizing into mush, Woods keeps the inside of the pumpkin intact, and uses either a clear gelatin or a clear spray lacquer to seal the gourd. He says pumpkins will last six to seven months, mold free, using those techniques.

Enter a slew of kids. “I’m about to start carving the pumpkins—some for the kids to take to the teachers and some for American Ambulance,” Woods said. “I take the kids and we all go in the garage and start carving. Or they can paint the pumpkins. It’s just time for us to get together and do something fun.”

Zoe, only months old, arrived five weeks early and is the newest member of Woods’ blended family, which also includes two McKennas, one 8 and one 10. Blake, 6, is an active sports enthusiast and ball of fire. And then there’s Austin, 4.

“Austin is my special guy; he’s a special needs child. He’s tested negative for every known genetic disorder,” said Woods. “We’re realizing that it’s more important that he’s taken care of rather than finding a name for what he has. Austin is the most happy, exciting person to be around. You can’t walk in the room without him brightening your day.”

Branching Out

There’s an irony in the unresolved situation surrounding Austin. Though he can’t identify what plagues his son, Woods has an innate drive to learn and keep himself educated, two characteristics that make him an invaluable employee and an exemplary instructor.

While his roots were held tightly in the culinary field, with high school goals of becoming a contractor, Woods was unexpectedly offered a volunteer position at the local fire department. He was immediately drawn to the excitement of an emergency call. And then one day, his world tilted on its axis—and so did his goals.

“We got a call to help someone terminally ill and we couldn’t do anything for that person,” said Woods, lamenting that the patient ultimately succumbed. It hit him hard, and his impending thirst for knowledge took hold. “I took an EMT class to help me figure out what I could have done differently.”

That was in 1998, and Woods hasn’t held still long enough to look back on the sharp turn in his life’s journey. In 2000, Woods became an EMT 2, and in 2004, advanced to the level of paramedic. His ultimate goal, through his continuous education, is to become a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.

“As a paramedic, I became a field training officer,” said Woods. “I’ve since acquired quite a few different teaching credentials.” With the crescendo of experience, Woods has leapfrogged agencies, but five years ago, found himself snapped up by American Ambulance, where he now hangs his stethoscope.

Woods is incredibly humble as he lists his credits. He is also a certified instructor through the National Association of EMS Educators and teaches at several venues including the College of the Sequoias and the Sequoia Ambulance Foundation. Woods is also a field-training officer (FTO) for the Fresno City College Paramedic Program.

His instructor certifications run the gamut, including Advanced Medical Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support.

Passion for People

“My goal is to learn a subject so well that I could teach it. I take that to heart,” said Woods. “For every subject I don’t completely understand, I’ve taken continuing education in order to provide, not just adequate, but impeccable care. We have to be so well-versed and well-rounded to treat people. It takes a lot of self-involved education.”

Woods still responds to calls frequently. Whenever there is a need to put more ambulances on the road, he logs in and works the road.

“My passion is helping people, but I can do it two different ways. For hands-on care I work to be the best I can be, which means being the most on top of things. But I can also take the knowledge that I have harnessed and pass it along so others can better assist the people we meet.”

His son Austin remains a vessel for which Woods can continue his quest to help others, in yet a different part of the health education arena. It took Woods six months to get someone to listen to his concerns about Austin being a special needs child.

“As a medical community, we’ve become calloused to what people have to say. There is a need for special needs classes—for those who don’t understand what it entails or how to treat them. I can research and help them better understand,” Woods declared. “I want people to understand that you need to pay attention to the parents. We have to make sure they’re part of everything that’s going on with their child, who is something so precious.”

No comments

The approaching holiday season means it’s soon time for warm visions of family and good cheer—and for Scrooge-like media types to come along with warnings of holiday hazards to rain on your Macy’s parade. Yes, ‘tis the season to intone the grim list of things that can go wrong for the holidays. And really, what screams “Happy Holidays!” more than a Christmas tree fire, or an egg nog-induced DUI? Perhaps an emergency vet visit for your antler-wearing canine who snacked on your favorite glass tree ornament? Holiday snafus are a tradition as old as the holidays themselves.

The modern era brings concerns great and small due to holiday-related pitfalls: burglaries, Internet scams, fire hazards, and potential travel disasters to drive otherwise cheerful revelers to vow to skip the hoopla and hole up until after the new year. To ease the anxiety, we have included tips on how you can avoid becoming a crime or accident statistic and prevent—or at least avoid—holiday hazards. And yuletide merriment aside, that’s pretty serious business.

Chestnuts + Open Fire = Poof

We’re not trying to alarm you by conjuring a picture of chestnuts roasting on an untended fire too near a fuel source. This stuff really happens. Just ask Visalia Fire Department Fire Marshal Charlie Norman, who has seen some pretty wacky things go awry around the blessed season, when emergency calls spike.

“Statistically, from Thanksgiving to January 2 our call volume increases about 15% from the norm. The calls range from traffic accidents, fires, medical calls, and fires. There isn’t a pattern (in terms of type of calls), just consistent increases” overall, notes Norman.

Surely everyone knows that candles on Christmas trees are a bad idea. But what about more obscure sources of ignition, like those permanent Christmas lights left on the house to degenerate in the elements over the years? Norman recalls a situation where some long-dead pine needles on a roof were showered with sparks when the dampness from winter fog shorted a socket. Many incidents arise from a combination of such unexpected factors, a perfect storm of causes rather than a single dumb idea. But sometimes a good old-fashioned dumb idea is to blame.

“Another incident I recall,” Norman says, “was when we showed up on scene and a guy came out, facial hair missing, pompadour singed from being burned by his Christmas tree.” But this wasn’t due to the proverbial candles on the tree or shorting electric Christmas lights, he recalls. In fact, Christmas was over. “The guy decided to dispose of his Christmas tree by burning it in the fireplace. But rather than cut it up, he thought he would push the whole thing in.” Thinking it would just disappear, chipper-style if he fed the tree little by little as it burned, he was quickly engulfed in flames as the dry branches flashed all at once. The fire department arrived before the dumb idea got completely out of control, but not before quite a lot of damage occurred.

Other typical fire causes involve chimneys, Norman says. Revelers decide that Christmas Day is a nice occasion for the season’s first fire in a rarely used fireplace. Past years’ creosote builds up above the damper and can ignite, putting a different sort of damper on festivities. And let’s not forget the lesson of the Bakersfield woman who paid a surprise visit to her estranged ex-boyfriend by entering through the chimney and becoming lodged there. The result: a tragic death by asphyxiation. So please, no unannounced Santa entrances.

Homes built prior to the 1970s pose a potential hazard, because at that time electrical breakers were not common. Without breakers’ intentional tripping function, Christmas lights can overload circuits and can cause wires to overheat. This usually invisible fire source that can go undetected until the fire has advanced within walls.

Additionally, the fire marshal says that older gas furnaces can accumulate dust, which becomes a fuel source when lit at the first sign of a winter cold snap, often around Thanksgiving.

Infobox:

TIPS

• Dispose of Christmas trees properly and immediately after Christmas.

• Limit use of extension cords with holiday lighting.

• Use low wattage, energy-efficient lighting.

• Throw out any lighting that is aged or has exposed wiring.

• Keep candles to a minimum, away from flammable items (and children), and do not leave them unattended.

Internet Grinches

With the Internet now integrated into the holiday routine like Grandpa’s spiked egg nog, it’s wise to be on guard online. Just as you’re filling up with glad tidings, criminals are gearing up for the busy season. And they have computers. Probably hot ones, sure, but criminals are increasingly computer literate.

Your 500 million Facebook friends are trustworthy, right? Wrong. And Facebook friends are mostly not friends at all. You don’t even know very much about some of them. Experienced Facebook users realize that every time you comment on a friend’s post or photo, your words will be read by far more than just the intended friend. Depending on settings, your friends, their friends’ friends—and anyone else who has access to their posts—potentially knows more about you than you really intend. What you post one day may seem cryptic, but taken together, your posts can paint a surprisingly thorough picture of your life, leaving your whereabouts or treasure buried in plain sight of countless strangers.

Home Burglary for the Holidays

If you can’t resist posting an exasperated Facebook message about how the kids finally wore you down for a Wii for Christmas, or crowing about the new flat screen TV you bought your wife with the NFL cable package you added just for her—wink, wink!—at least heed some basic precautionary advice from Detective Brian Young with the Visalia Police Department.

“During the holidays and year-round it is important to have your residence and property secure in order to prevent theft (and) burglaries,” says Young. “This includes lighting, landscaping, locks, and alarm systems.” That much may be obvious, but he suggests more systematic security strategies, too.

“One of the most important items—and actually free of charge—would be to get to know your neighbors. We all get busy with our daily routine and society has changed but having names and phone numbers to all of your neighbors should be a priority to everyone,” Young says. “For example, you see a different vehicle parked a few houses down the street and you dismiss this and continue to your way. Later, after you return home from work or running errands, you see and patrol unit parked in front of the same house and you find out the home was burglarized.” Or worse, Young says, “you open your front door and find your home was actually the target and you have a ransacked home with several (items) of value missing. If you had contact numbers a quick phone call could have been made and maybe the burglary could have been prevented.”

Use common sense about Facebook, refraining from posting “personal information for ID theft issues and crimes of a more serious nature,” says Young. He recommends Googling “dangers related to Facebook” for several sites offering good information. “Be selective (about) who you allow to be in your contacts and be aware of the privacy settings. Never post your travel plans and dates to departure,” Young suggests. “And be cautious if you use the Places feature. Social networking and geo-location can allow the criminal element to thrive in a variety of settings.”

Other tips include reciprocating with neighbors who can pick up your newspapers and the door hangers that can accumulate during holiday travels, transmitting your absence to all who pass by. Young also suggests that neighbors can turn on different lights in the house to make it appear someone is still at the residence.

When you walk outside or are backing out of the driveway, pay attention to the vehicles and people in the neighborhood. Sometimes a criminals use a lookout when committing a crime or before, to case a location prior to committing a crime. “Shopping during the busy holiday season can be a challenge and walking in dark crowded parking lots gives a criminal several targets to select from. This can include vehicle burglaries, thefts, robberies, and assaults. Never leave anything to value in your vehicle and always lock your doors,” he said.

Donation Scams

Pre-Internet in-person fraud scams are so 1995 … or are they? Old school fraud is still around, although often eclipsed by reports of Web-based scams in the media.

“Never give out personal information without confirming the (recipient) and need for the requested information,” Young advises.

• Be skeptical of spontaneous, on-the-spot suspicious requests for holiday charity donations or tall tales of personal woes that precede a request for cash.

• Before you give, research organizations online.

• Ask the solicitor for a card or other identifying literature. The presence of those items is no guarantee of legitimacy, but showing even a little scrutiny often drives away scammers.

Holiday Travels

In the Central Valley, the holiday season is marred each year with news accounts of multiple-car pile-ups on area streets and highways, particularly notorious Highway 99. Add the typical holiday increase in the number of under-the-influence drivers, and the mix can be deadly. Leave extra time to reach holiday destinations. If fog begins to sock in, don’t let the allure of the season or the pull of tradition or family expectations compel you to drive in dangerous weather. Compare one missed Christmas Eve celebration with missing those of the rest of your life. Staying home might not seem such a bad idea after all.

Another travel-related mishap can involve airport scams and theft. Holiday bedlam in terminals can create a fertile climate for pickpockets and other con artists, so be alert when using the airlines or mass transit.

“The Golden Rule” during the holidays is to always be “aware of your surroundings,” Young says, “not only at home but anytime you are out in public.”

No comments

Local emergency providers in Tulare and Kings counties keep their towns safe and secure 365 days a year. They work countless hours to save lives, fight fires, and patrol our streets. They risk their lives so we may live ours freely. And while we are celebrating the holidays with our family and friends, they are hugging theirs goodbye to go off to their jobs so everyone can have a safe celebration. As if this isn’t sacrifice enough, during the holiday season they provide one more humble service to their community. They open their hearts and give to families in need. This year we would like to acknowledge some departments around Tulare and Kings counties, and the additional support they provide for their communities. First, we want to thank them for the hard work, dedication, and continuous support that they provide every day, all year long. And an extra thank you for making these families’ holidays brighter!

• The Tulare Police Department puts out canisters all over Tulare every year to collect gifts for needy families. It started this project many years ago with around 100 kids. The project has grown to help over 1,000 kids each Christmas. Once they have the names and one gift per kid the off-duty police officers jump in their cars, donning Santa Claus hats—one officer even rides his motorcycle in full Santa regalia—and deliver the gifts. The look on each kid’s face when she sees an officer with a hat and present is priceless. The officers enjoy this time of sharing as well.
• Sierra View District Hospital in Porterville has put up a Tree of Angels for the last five years so the staff can fulfill a less-fortunate child’s Christmas wish. The names and wishes, written on angels and put on the tree, come from social workers from the local school districts. Each staff member “adopts” an angel and gives the children basic items such as jackets, shoes, and socks and also provides the family with food, toiletries, and blankets. They help 300 to 500 families each year for the holidays.
• The Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department holds a toy drive, collecting toys for families that have contacted it, needing some help during the holiday season. The whole year through, there is typically a stuffed animal in the fire truck to hand out to kids who are involved in incidents that it is called out to help with. That way the kids feel a little at ease with a stuffed animal to hold.
• LifeStar Ambulance of Tulare gives back through Toys for Tots and donates a bicycle and helmet as a Christmas present for a child in need.
• Kaweah Delta Medical Center puts up a Christmas tree full of stars, each with the name of a family of a hospital employee has been hit hard by the economic times and needs a bit of help during the season. Each star tells what the family needs, like food or gifts, and each floor chooses to adopt one of the families. Starting right after the Thanksgiving Parade, two days a week a choir or band stands outside the front of the hospital and sings or plays holiday music for all to enjoy. The Medical Center also does a food collection and helps organizations like FoodLink or Toys for Tots.
• American Ambulance of Visalia helps with many food drives for families and organizations for Thanksgiving and Christmas time. Also through the help of local churches, charities, or organizations they pick a family that needs help getting through the holidays. Employees donate various canned, boxed, and dry goods, then on the day of the delivery the company buys a turkey, ham, or other meat, as well as vegetables and dairy products. Typically the family gets about a week to ten days’ worth of food.
• Adventist Health Medical Center in Hanford provides meals for people in need every holiday season. It works with doctors to provide hundreds of meals for needy patients during Christmas and Thanksgiving. The medical center also adopts families and children so they can have plenty of Christmas gifts and Thanksgiving meals.
• Hanford Police Department is helping out in an exciting way this Christmas holiday. For the first time it is getting its SWAT Team together and going to the local Target and Wal-Mart with their SWAT vehicle. They will park it in front of the stores and encourage shoppers to help fill it up with donated toys and canned food for families that need help. The team will also provide toys and food. Once they get the truck filled up, they will get a list of families through the Salvation Army and the police chaplains and deliver the toys and food in the SWAT Truck to those families for Christmas.
• Tulare Fire Department and Association receives requests through the Tulare Salvation Army for gifts for families to be delivered a couple of days before Christmas. Last year it started an event where crews on Christmas Eve go to Tulare Regional Medical Center and read “Twas the Night before Christmas” to the children and adults who are admitted in the hospital. TRMC provides hot chocolate and cookies during the reading. The department also adorns all fire apparatus with Christmas wreaths to celebrate the season. The crews will also help the Salvation Army unload hundreds of frozen turkeys to be distributed on Thanksgiving. The station is also a collection site for the Tulare Police toys for kid drive.
• Imperial Ambulance of Porterville will participate in the Veterans Day Parade, Porterville Children’s Christmas Parade, and the Porterville Developmental Center’s Christmas Parade. Along with those parades the employees and company will support the Porterville women’s shelter by donating toys for the kids and necessities for the women. They also hold a 50/50 raffle at their Christmas party and half of the money goes to the women’s shelter.
• Tulare County Exeter Fire Department will select eight families to get a Christmas tree along with the decorations, presents for the kids to put under the tree, and groceries for a turkey Christmas dinner.
• American Ambulance of Kings County, through the Sheriff’s Department, has a program called “Are You OK?” where members go to senior citizens’ homes to make sure everything is going OK and to see if they need anything. The program starts around Thanksgiving time.
• Tulare Regional Medical Center helps families for the Christmas holiday by going to Lowe’s or Home Depot and buying an artificial Christmas tree with lights. Each department will adopt a family, whose name was given to them by either the school district or a local church, and will decorate the tree to give to that family. The department also provides gifts along with the tree. Through the years, the departments have really gotten into this type of giving. Some of the team members have even taken the time to knit sweaters and scarves for the families. If you ask any one of them they will tell you with a heartfelt story about their experience. They have realized that these families have been hit with hard times and they are people just like them who are going through a rough time and the sense of giving is even more overwhelming.

Everyone benefits from gracious giving from the heart. Not only do the families in need benefit but the people who give do as well. Nothing warms the heart like donating and giving what you can. The participants in these events know: Giving is what the holiday is all about.

No comments

Most people look forward to the holiday season as a time for shopping, families, and food, but local police departments and retailers see the season differently. For them, it’s the time of the year they spend on the lookout for holiday crime.

“Every year during the holidays we have an increase in vehicle and residential burglaries, primarily because (criminals) know people are out spending money and have more stuff in their residence or in their cars,” said Lieutenant George Hernandez of the Hanford Police Department.

Hernandez said it’s not uncommon for these types of incidents to increase between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Sergeant Candido Alvarez of the Visalia Police Department confirmed that crimes such burglary, petty theft, and robbery increase during the holiday season, though the rate of crimes during the holiday period has not gone up in the past several years.

Alvarez said the most commonly committed crime is petty theft, or shoplifting. He said that traditionally, auto theft has also increased during the holidays.

“As more people come in, so do the crooks, and they have a larger selection of cars to steal,” Hernandez said.

However, in the past five years, Alvarez said, auto theft rates have gone down. He attributes this drop to the efforts of Visalia’s auto theft task force. Rates for violent crime have also been on the decline, according to reports from the FBI.

Regardless of crime statistics, the holidays are a time when many people are distracted, not paying attention to their surroundings.

“Prevention is crucial,” said Alvarez. “People should be aware of their environments, try to park in well-lit areas, and be aware of people watching or following them.

Alvarez said there is safety in groups, and with lighting. He urges people to be vigilant, not to walk around looking like a victim.

“If people notice suspicious activity, they should trust their instincts and contact the police department with the information,” Alvarez said. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Ounce of Prevention

Jason Dixon heads Target Stores’ asset protection department for the Hanford store and starts meeting with his team to develop an action plan in the months before the holiday season.

“A couple of months out we start looking at security issues we know we’re going to face,” Dixon said. He factors in current theft trends and joins with local police departments to go over the issues that both police and retailers have seen in the past. His department covers security, theft, and losses at the store.

“Certain items are a lot more wanted during the holidays; mostly electronics, iPods, things of that nature,” Dixon said. He said the store is more alert for any type of theft during the holiday months and takes steps to prevent losses.

He has also seen an increase in “push out” incidents, in which “someone loads up high dollar merchandise like a TV or a $400 vacuum cleaner, they’ll put it in their cart, push that out the fire exit, jump in the car, and drive off.”

In order to combat this type of crime, Dixon works with police departments to place cameras on the inside and outside of the building, so that perpetrators can easily be identified and caught.

He said retail crime has always been there during the holiday months, but he is now starting to see more use of counterfeit money. Dixon trains employees to recognize fake bills and discreetly notify security.

Dixon said that crimes like robberies generally haven’t been an issue, but advised shoppers to be aware of their surroundings.

In terms of security, he said, the store isn’t given a large budget to increase security measures during the holidays, but they work closely with police departments to discourage crime at the store. Part of those efforts include training employees, using theft prevention devices, and placing cameras strategically so that if a crime is committed, faces and license plates can be captured on film.

“As you get closer to December, we get a lot more traffic, and we tend to see an uptick in crime as well,” Dixon said.

Strength in Numbers

Lieutenant Hernandez said that one of the biggest steps taken by law enforcement is to make their presence known. He said in past years, there were extra patrols in parking lots and inside the mall.

“But obviously things have changed because of our budget and economy,” Hernandez said. “We can’t afford the overtime anymore.”

Hernandez said the department has worked to make their presence known in shopping areas and uses the volunteers, Citizens on Patrol.

He said the volunteers patrol in uniforms and marked cars, and serve as extra eyes and ears. If they see issues or problems, they can quickly radio to dispatch officers.

Hernandez says his department also uses reserve officers during peak holiday times. The department also works to educate the public on things they can do to stay safe. Alvarez said the biggest impact is from the increased presence. When not on duty, police officers drive their cars and can call in suspicious activity.

“Increased visibility is the crux of our holiday program,” Alvarez said. “Most officers drive their cars around when they’re out shopping for themselves, so people will see patrol cars everywhere.”

In the past, Officer Ryan Tomey of the Hanford Police Department has written safety tips in the Hanford Sentinel, and has focused holiday articles about avoiding holiday crime.

One of the key points emphasized by police departments is to eliminate the temptation posed by items left in vehicles that might attract the attention of thieves. If items must be left in a car, they should be secured in a trunk or covered, and people should be aware of people watching as they do this as well.

“As far as vehicles being stuffed with gifts, it’s a burglar’s dream come true,” said Tomey.

No comments